Special Edition Using Mac OS X Tiger - Softcover

Miser, Brad

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0789733919 ISBN 13: 9780789733917

Publisher: Que, 2005

Synopsis

One of the best Mac OS X reference books has just gotten better. Special Edition Using Mac OS X Tiger is the ultimate guide to your new Mac operating system. Written in a straightforward style with no fluff, You will thoroughly cover everything you need to know to use Mac OS X Tiger as efficiently and effectively as possible. In addition to coverage of the core functionality of the desktop, you will find extensive coverage of topics that enable you to accomplish productive work with your Mac, such as creating digital movies, surfing the Net, and creating and hosting a Web site. This book also contains substantial amounts of information to help you add devices to expand your system so you can accomplish even more. You'll learn about the iLife suite of applications, including iTunes, iDVD, iPhoto, Garage Band and iMovie and how to configure the technologies so that they can be used to expand your system and maximize its performance. This comprehensive user's guide provides you with the in-depth, wide-ranging information that you need to get the most out of your operating system.

About this title

About the Author

Brad Miser has written extensively about all things Macintosh, with his favorite topics being OS X and the amazing "i" applications that empower Mac OS X users to unleash their digital creativity. In addition to Special Edition Using Mac OS X, v10.4 Tiger, Brad has written many other books, including Special Edition Using Mac OS X, v10.3 Panther; Absolute Beginner's Guide to iPod and iTunes; Absolute Beginner's Guide to Homeschooling; Mac OS X and iLife: Using iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, and iDVD; iDVD 3 Fast & Easy; Special Edition Using Mac OS X v10.2; and Using Mac OS 8.5. He has also been an author, development editor, or technical editor on more than 50 other titles. He has been a featured speaker on various Macintosh-related topics at Macworld Expo, at user group meetings, and in other venues.

Brad is the senior technical communicator for an Indianapolis-based software development company. Brad is responsible for all product documentation, training materials, online help, and other communication materials. He also manages the customer support operations for the company and provides training and account management services to its customers. Previously, he was the lead engineering proposal specialist for an aircraft engine manufacturer, a development editor for a computer book publisher, and a civilian aviation test officer/engineer for the U.S. Army. Brad holds a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo (1986) and has received advanced education in maintainability engineering, business, and other topics.

In addition to his passion for Macintosh computers, Brad likes to ride his motorcycle, run, and play racquetball; playing with home theater technology is also a favorite pastime.

Once a native of California, Brad now lives in Brownsburg, Indiana with his wife Amy; their three daughters, Jill, Emily, and Grace; and their guinea pig, Buddy.

Brad would love to hear about your experiences with this book (the good, the bad, and the ugly). You can write to him at bradmacosx@mac.com.

© Copyright Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

In this introduction

Welcome to Mac OS X  2

Introduction to Special Edition Using Mac OS X, v10.4 Tiger  3

Welcome to Mac OS X

Now in its fourth major release (version 10.4), Mac OS X has been called many things, from revolutionary to evolutionary to being so innovative that it threatened the very existence of the Mac as we had come to know and love it. And all of those descriptions were appropriate.

The first release of Mac OS X was a giant leap forward for the Mac platform. Its innovations in basic architecture, the way it works, and even its user interface made Mac OS X the most significant event for Mac users since the first Mac was introduced back in the Jurassic period, circa 1984. Mac OS X was more stable, more powerful, and even more beautiful than any previous version. However, the first version of Mac OS X had some rough spots, not surprising at all because it was the first release of a brand-new OS (despite the version number implying it was the successor to Mac OS 9).

About a year later, version 10.2 was released. This release smoothed many of the rough edges left over from version 10.1 and added many new features. Due to some fundamental improvements in the core operating system, version 10.2 caused some ripples in the Mac universe because many applications had to be updated to run under that version.

Version 10.3 began to show the maturity of Mac OS X's more than two years of life. Version 10.3 continued the process of refining the OS along with adding some excellent new features, such as a totally redesigned Finder, Expose, improved applications, and so on. It also continued to improve the stability and performance of the OS. Much of the foundation work for the OS was accomplished by the previous two releases; version 10.3 was less disruptive than the previous releases while continuing to make major improvements in functionality, reliability, and performance.

Version 10.4 is less of a change than previous releases of Mac OS X were. This is good news because it means that the core OS functionality has stabilized, and transitions to each subsequent version will have lots of benefits with less pain. In version 10.4, new features abound, such as the totally new Dashboard and widgets, which provide instant access to accessory applications; the Spotlight, which enables you to quickly search your Mac for information of all kinds at the same time; and others, but your transition from previous versions of OS X will be smooth (unlike some of the previous transitions). Of course, if you are new to the Mac or have never used Mac OS X before, all the previous versions don't matter. You get to enjoy the results of Mac OS X's evolution without having been through the growth process.

Mac OS X is a very powerful and feature-rich OS. Although many of the features of the OS are intuitive, some might not be obvious to you. And because of the amazing number of powerful applications that are part of the standard Mac OS X installation, such as Safari, iTunes, and many others, using Mac OS X effectively is much more than just manipulating the Finder and using the Dock. That is where this book comes in.

Introduction to Special Edition Using Mac OS X, v10.4 Tiger

This book has two fundamental purposes:

• To help you make the jump to Mac OS X as efficiently as possible

• To provide a reference for you to use as you continue to grow in your Mac OS X use

To accomplish the first purpose, this book is written in a straightforward style; you won't find any fluff here. The book is designed to help you use Mac OS X as efficiently and effectively as possible. Everything about the book is an attempt to make specific information accessible and applicable to your daily Mac life. You will find only the background information you need to understand how to apply specific techniques and technologies; the focus is on the information you need to apply what you learn to your own Mac.

To accomplish the second purpose, this book covers an extremely broad range of topics. In addition to coverage of the core functionality of the desktop, you will find extensive coverage of topics to enable you to accomplish productive work with your Mac, such as creating digital movies, surfing the Net, and creating and hosting a website. This book also contains substantial amounts of information to help you add devices to expand your system so you can accomplish even more. Because Mac OS X has been designed to be networked, you will learn how to use its capabilities in this area to connect with other Macs, as well as to Windows networks. You'll learn how to both prevent and solve OS X problems along the way.

How This Book Is Organized

This book consists of several parts, each of which contains at least two chapters. The following list provides an overview of this book's contents:

• Part I, "Mac OS X: Exploring the Core"—This part gets you started on the right foot. You'll learn the core operations of the OS, from getting started with Mac OS X to working with the Finder, the Dock, the Dashboard, and more.

• Part II, "Mac OS X: Mastering the System"—After Part I, you'll be ready to take your Mac use further. This part starts with information you need to get the most of your applications. Then you'll explore Mac OS X in depth, such as customizing it. You'll also find out how to automate tasks using the Automator (which gets my vote for best new feature in 10.4) and learn to use Unix on your Mac. If you use a mobile Mac, you'll want to read the last chapter in this part, which shows you Mac OS X on one of these cool machines.

• Part III, "Mac OS X: Connecting to the World"—Mac OS X has been designed to facilitate your interaction with the Internet. This part of the book explains how to configure Mac OS X for the Internet and how to use the tools it provides after you are connected.

• Part IV, "Mac OS X: Living the Digital Life"—The Mac has always been preeminent in creative activities, such as graphics, video, and imaging. Mac OS X continues this tradition and provides digital media tools that are unmatched by any other platform. From creating and editing digital images to making movies with iMovie to watching DVDs you create, this part of the book shows you how.

• Part V, "Mac OS X: Expanding Your System"—No Mac is an island; this part of the book helps you understand the input and output technologies supported by Mac OS X to enable you to select and add the peripheral devices you need.

• Part VI, "Mac OS X: Living in a Networked World"—From the Internet to a local network, your Mac is most likely connected to one or more other computers. In this part of the book, you will learn how to establish, maintain, and use a network.

• Part VII, "Mac OS X: Protecting, Maintaining, and, Repairing Your Mac"—As great as Mac OS X is, you still need to know how to minimize problems and be able to effectively solve any problems you do experience.

• Part VIII, "Mac OS X: Appendix"—Appendix A will help you install and maintain the OS.

Special Features

This book includes the following special features:

• Chapter roadmaps—At the beginning of each chapter, you will find a list of the top-level topics addressed in that chapter. This list will enable you to quickly see the type of information the chapter contains.

• Troubleshooting—Many chapters in the book have a section dedicated to trouble-shooting specific problems related to the chapter's topic. Cross-references to the solutions to these problems are placed in the context of relevant text in the chapter as Troubleshooting Notes to make them easy to locate.

• Mac OS X to the Max—Some chapters end with a "Mac OS X to the Max" section. These sections contain extra information that will help you make the most of Mac OS X. For example, tables of keyboard shortcuts are included to help you work more efficiently. Other sections include summaries of information that is outside the scope of the book, but which you should be aware of.

• Notes—Notes provide additional commentary or explanation that doesn't fit neatly into the surrounding text. You will find detailed explanations of how something works, alternative ways of performing a task, and comparisons between Mac OS X and previous versions of the OS.

• On the Web notes—These notes provide you with URLs you can visit to get more information or other resources relating to the topic being discussed.

• Tips—Tips help you work more efficiently by providing shortcuts or hints about alternative and faster ways of accomplishing a task.

• Cautions—These sidebars provide a warning to you about situations that involve possible danger to your Mac or its data.

• The new version icon—This icon indicates a significant change from versions of Mac OS prior to version 10.4. This icon will be meaningful to you if you have used a previous version of Mac OS X because it points out significant new features or major changes made for version 10.4.

• Cross-references—Many topics are connected to other topics in various ways. Cross-references help you link related information together, no matter where that information appears in the book. When another section is related to one you are reading, a cross-reference will direct you to a specific page in the book on which you will find the related information.

Conventions

To make things as clear as possible, this boo...

Edition details

• Publisher: Que
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 0789733919
• ISBN 13: 9780789733917
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 1169